TheChels.net – News
One of the biggest issues in football in recent years has been the emergence of the “brand”. Whether this applies to an individual, as in “Brand Beckham” (arguably the first brand of its kind), or a club, the brand, and potential damage thereto, is often cited at the first hint of trouble. When Luis Suarez was sent off for this third snack on an opponent, he was immediately dubbed “toxic”…
The last few years have seen an interesting shift in how footballers and managers are prepared to be openly critical in their feelings for certain clubs. There was a time when you’d never see a footballer criticise another club in print, with the result that the press would magnify what was simply a polite answer such as “Barcelona are a fantastic club and have great players” into “PLAYER X SET…
As you may or may not have seen from other media sources, the results of the Safe Standing Survey, carried out by a number of websites, fanzines and supporters’ groups, have now been published. You can read the full report here, together with the thoughts of CST Chairman Tim Rolls, but the headlines are:- Over 96% of Chelsea supporters surveyed are in favour of implementing Safe Standing at Stamford Bridge 90% stated…
The football season may be over, but over the summer there’ll be a trickle of events that will keep the denizens of SW6 in touch with each other. The Chelsea Supporters Tournament will be held in early July, some low-key pre-season friendlies at Wycombe Wanderers and AFC Wimbledon will provide relief to those desperate for a footy fix, and, even more importantly, the Fans Summit, organised jointly by the Football…
Much has been made by the media (particularly the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph) of an alleged decision by the Premier League that they intend to “help” Chelsea by switching one of our forthcoming Premier League fixtures featuring Sunderland and Liverpool games to a Saturday. That’s great, until you look at the detail. One of our Champions League semi-final games must be played on a Tuesday. For the PL…
In the middle of January, I received word from that well-known rascal, Walter Otton, that he’d be having a launch for his collection of short stories, appropriately enough called “Shorts”, together with a fundraiser for the Regenerate charity which is increasingly becoming part of the fabric of the SW6 family. He promised music, light entertainment, a presentation, plus a raffle. I promised I’d be there. Having interviewed Walter last year…
Spring brings a feeling of renewal; a fresh start. Supermarkets are advertising product discounts for a “spring clean”. The crocuses and daffodils are out – Hyde Park was looking stunning, albeit somewhat overcast today. For those of us of the Christian faith, the great season of Lent is upon us. And at the risk of being accused of attempting to steal the thunder of my dear friend, Driver on The…
News this morning brings us reports that Chelsea are close to securing the signature of 18 year-old Croatian midfielder Mario Pašalić from Hajduk Split. A report on the club’s offiical website confirmed that German-born Pašalić is departing Antalya in Turkey today for London, where he will seal a move to The Blues, who have won the race for a €3m transfer ahead of the likes of Lazio. The club’s statement…
A busy international double-header is set to be packed into the next ten or so days and, as you might expect of a leading club, Chelsea have more than their fair share of players representing their countries across all age groups. Here’s a rundown of who’s going to be where. Senior Internationals Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard, and Ashley Cole will be a part of the England squad which travels to…
Already reeling from the departure of Robbie Di Matteo, the suits at Chelsea FC inflicted a further blow on the club’s supporters last night with their appointment of the almost universally-despised former Liverpool boss, Rafael Benitez, until the end of the season. Let’s take a look at some of his pearls of wisdom on CFC whilst he was in charge at Anfield:- “Drogba is a coward, a diver and a…